Optimists & Pessimists Are Probably Dreading 2017 Equally—This Is Why

The world can usually be divided into optimists and pessimists. But according to a new study in the Journal of Personality, we're all Debbie Downers when it comes to one thing: our expectations for the future.

People generally tend to think progressively worse thoughts about an upcoming event that gives them anxiety—like a test or the election of a candidate they dislike—as it gets closer. But University of California—Riverside researchers wanted to see if positive thinkers were less prone to this habit.

It turned out they weren't. In nine different studies, optimists showed the same amount of negativity as pessimists when waiting for grades, ratings of attractiveness from their peers, and other potentially bad news.

"Counter to intuition, optimists were not immune to feeling a rise in pessimism at the moment of truth. In fact, not a single study showed a difference between optimists and pessimists in their tendency to brace for the worst," lead author Kate Sweeny said in a press release. In other words, Clinton supporters of pretty much all personality types were getting increasingly distressed on election night—and are equally anxious about inauguration day.

If these findings are correct, we're pretty much all screwed, because a recent analysis of Nurses' Health Study data found that people who think negatively have shorter lives. Then again, another study in Psychology and Aging found that people who keep their expectations measured live longer and have fewer health issues, maybe because they're more careful and less likely to end up disappointed.

We don't always get to control how happy our thoughts are anyway, especially after a year like this one. So it's comforting to know that at least we aren't alone in our anxiety. Even the most optimistic people are right there with us.